4 min learnJun 8, 2026 11:34 PM IST
The second spherical of the Uzchess Cup 2026 Masters supplied no respite for the faint-hearted, as all 5 video games ended decisively. For India, the day introduced combined fortunes as Arjun Erigaisi roared again after a draw within the opening spherical to say his first win, toppling Nodirbek Yakubboev, whereas Vidit Gujrathi endured one other crushing defeat, falling this time to former two-time Candidates champion Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Yakubboev has sturdy credentials and is among the stronger gamers hailing from a particularly gifted participant pool in Uzbekistan. He was a semifinalist on the FIDE World Cup 2025, only one win away from locking in his spot on the Candidates. He ultimately completed fourth and was one of many practically males of the occasion.
In an English recreation, each Yakubboev and Arjun ventured deep into a reasonably complicated center recreation that noticed solely two exchanges: a pawn and a knight commerce within the first 22 strikes. Each gamers bled greater than an hour on the clock and reached an thrilling however equal place with related time remaining. That is the place Arjun made his solely mistake within the recreation by pushing the f-file pawn to f4, permitting the Uzbek to commerce items and win an additional pawn. Nonetheless, Yakubboev neutralised his benefit by mistiming his personal pawn push, which allowed Arjun to win again a pawn. The place was roughly equal, and that is the place the Indian began to press. With the clock bleeding down, Yakubboev started making questionable strikes and went for exchanges that shifted the momentum in Arjun’s favour. Below mounting time stress, the Uzbek utterly misplaced his approach and resigned in a dropping place after 36 strikes.
For Vidit, Monday didn’t deliver a change of fortune as he misplaced his second recreation in a row after starting his marketing campaign with a crushing loss to Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
It was literal chaos on the board within the Vidit vs Nepomniachtchi conflict. Wielding the black items in a Nimzo Indian recreation, each Vidit and Nepo performed with significantly low accuracy and allowed one another to return again into the sport a number of occasions.
What Nepomniachtchi did nicely was to place stress on Vidit by enjoying quick and forcing him to bleed a whole lot of time on the clock, a difficulty that has troubled the Indian many occasions. The Russian was over an hour up on the clock towards Vidit, who had just a bit over three minutes in comparison with Nepomniachtchi’s one hour and 7 minutes after the twenty ninth transfer. By this time, Nepomniachtchi had an nearly utterly successful place at plus 3.72 and was trying to finish the sport then and there.
Little did he know that the sport had over 50 extra strikes left. He allowed Vidit to combat again, and the sport swindled each methods a number of occasions, with Vidit having many alternatives to carry Nepomniachtchi to a draw. However to his misfortune, he didn’t defend an endgame that includes a rook pair and a bishop towards white’s queen and knight. When the sport lastly ended after 83 strikes, the Russian had one hour and 19 minutes on his clock.
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Madaminov in sole lead
The largest shock of the occasion has been Mukhiddin Madaminov. The eleventh hour alternative for Javokhir Sindarov, for whom he works as a second, Madaminov has proved he belongs to the massive boys’ membership after the primary two rounds. After taking down Nepomniachtchi within the opening spherical, Madaminov registered his second straight win by beating Greek GM Nikolas Theodorou to maneuver into the only lead with two factors from two rounds.
Trailing him are Uzbek primary Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Arjun, each on 1.5 factors. Identical to Arjun, Abdusattorov received his first recreation of the occasion as he outplayed Mamedyarov with the white items.
Hans Niemann additionally bounced again after a loss to Theodorou by defeating Shamsiddin Vokhidov to register his first factors.
UzChess Cup 2026 – Masters Leaderboard after 2nd spherical
1. Mukhiddin Madaminov (UZB) – 2
2. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) – 1.5
3. Arjun Erigaisi (IND) – 1.5
4. Nikolas Theodorou (GRE) – 1
5. Hans Moke Niemann (USA) – 1
6. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE) – 1
7. Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS) – 1
8. Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB) – 0.5
9. Shamsiddin Vokhidov (UZB) – 0.5
10. Vidit Gujrathi (IND) – 0